Clothespin



B. M. BARRICKMAN.

CLOTHESPIN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1918.

1 ,344, 254:. Patented June 22, 1920.

Jvwemboz BART ivr. BARBICKMAN, OF-IPORTLAND', OREGON.

cLo'rHEsrm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Application filed November 23, 1918. Serial No. 263,845.

.skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in wireclothes pins, more particularly of that type formed of a single lengthof wire bent to provide a pair of jaws resiliently opposed to relativemovement whereby to exert a proper gripping articles insertedtherebetween. general the object of the present to simplify and.otherwise imstructure and to increase the efficiency of devices of thischaracter. I

A more detailed object is to provide an improved gripping action of theclothes pin both with respect to the range of resilient action afforded.the jaws and with respect to a balanced gripping relation of the variousaw portions.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionresides more particularly in the novel combination,

action on t is in invention prove the formation and arrangement of partshereinafter described and particularly out in the appended claims In theaccompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved clothes pin.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view therethrough.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, a singlelength of wire from which the pin is formed is bent centrally and theportions adjacent the bend extend in contiguous relation to form a pairof jaw shanks 5, the central bend 6 of the wire being disposed at theouter ends of the jaw shanks, and the inner ends of the jaw shanks aretwisted together at 7. From the twisted portions 7, each stretch of wireis coiled outwardly in a helical spring at 8,

pointed the jaw shanks 5 being disposed tangential I to the helix, andfrom the outer ends of the coils the wire isextended tangentially insubstantially the plane of the shanks 5 to form a. pair of jaw shanks 9,these jaw shanks being parallel and spaced laterally at opposite sidesof the pair of jaw shanks 5. The free end portion of one of the shanks 9is turned laterally at right angles as shown at 11 and is terminallyconnected to the extremity of the other shank 9 as shown at 12. The pairof shanks 5 which ointly form one of the gripping jaws of the clothespin are provided with a pair of bends 13 and 13 directed forward fromthe plane of the shanks 9 which latter shanks form jointly the othergripping jaw of the clothes pin. It will be noted that the bend 13 is ofless amplitude than that of the bend 13. The shanks 9 are provided alsowith bends 14' and 14 direrted rearwardly, or oppositely to the.

. alined bends 13 and 13' with which they and durable clothes pin hasthus been provided which possesses a wide range of resilient action andwhich may be most readily applied in operative position to a clothesline. The gripping action of the jaw shanks 5 is exerted between the jawshanks 9, and thus an entirely balanced gripping action is procured.

It is noted that the jaw shanks 9 are longer than the jaw shanks 5, andthus should the resilience of the ja'ws'in a normal operation becomelessened by continued use or unusual strain, thejaw shanks 5 may bepassed between the shanks 9, to lie at the other side of them whenarticles may be gripped between the other faces of the jaws and therentrant bends between 13 and 13' and between 14 and 14' becomeeffective.

For securing the pin permanently to a clothes line, a link 15 isprovided, having an eye 16 at one end loosely engaging the outerconvolutions of one of the coils 8 and having a normally closed springhook 17 at its other end for engagement on the clothes line.

The free end portions of the- I am aware that clothes pins haveheretofore been formed of a single length of wire bent to provide a pairof resiliently opposed jaw portions, and my invention therefore residesin the particular formation recited in the claims to procure a mostsimple, readily manufactured and efficient clothes pin of this type.

Vllitt is claimed is:

l. A clothes pin comprising a single length of wire having its endsconnected, the wire being extended from said connecting ends to form apair of spaced jaw shanks, then coiled, and then extended from itscoileiil portion to form a second pair of jaw shanks shorter than andcapable of swinging through the first, the jaws having bends facing eachother when the shorter jaw is on either side of the longer.

2. A clothes pin comprising a single length of wire having its endsconnected, the wire being extended from said connected ends to form apair of jaw shanks, and then coiled and extended from its coiled portionto form a coaeting second pair of jaw shanks, said second pair of shanksbeing twisted together adjacent the coiled portion.

3. A clothes pin comprising a single length of wire having its endsconnected, the wire strands being extended from said connected ends inspaced parallel shanks, then coiled inwardly from said shanks, thentwisted together, and finally extended to form a coacting second pair ofjaw shanks shorter than the first.

a. A clothes pin comprising resiliently connected jaws, one of whichincludes spaced shanks terminally connected and of greater length thanthe other jaw for movement of the latter aw between them for cooperation with their opposite faces selectively.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa.

ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

BART M. BARRIGKMAN, \Vitnesses:

G. P. GUnNow, T. GRANSTREM.

